Innovation City, an AI-powered free zone in Ras Al Khaimah, announced on May 4, 2026, the launch of a blockchain-based digital business identity system that replaces traditional paper and PDF licenses with cryptographically verifiable 'living' digital assets on the OPN chain. The system shifts business registration from centralized government databases to a decentralized model, enabling instant, immutable verification of corporate credentials.
From Static Documents to Dynamic Digital Identities
According to a press statement, the rollout aligns with a recent UAE federal directive to move 50% of government services and operations to agentic AI within two years. By placing business identities on a blockchain, Innovation City provides the machine-readable infrastructure necessary for AI agents to process permits, compliance checks, and taxation autonomously.
Paul Dawalibi, CEO of Innovation City, stated: “For decades business identity has been trapped in paper, PDFs, and fragile databases. We are ending that era.” He noted that the move is intended to eliminate the 'verification uncertainty' that often slows down cross-border trade and institutional interactions.
Technology Backed by OPN Chain and Agentic AI
The underlying technology, developed by IOPN, is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible Layer 1 blockchain. The company claims it supports over 10,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality. Mojtaba Asadian, CEO of IOPN, described the OPN chain as the 'sovereign infrastructure layer' for the UAE's emerging AI economy. “The future of enterprise is not centralized databases or fragmented systems,” Asadian said. “It is sovereign, verifiable, and alive on-chain.”
Immediate benefits for registered enterprises include curbing document forgery and opaque shell companies, enabling banks and regulators to verify a company's standing in seconds rather than weeks. The digital identities are designed to travel across different platforms and international borders. Officials emphasized the transition is not merely a technical upgrade but a 'complete re-architecture' of corporate existence. As AI integration becomes standard across the Middle East, blockchain-based identity will become 'table stakes' for any company wishing to participate in frictionless global commerce.